Economic Development

The City of Burien’s economic development staff actively recruit and
retain businesses, attract new development, promote the city to
visitors, and work with local and regional partners to increase Burien’s
quality of life. Burien has a history of successful proactive economic development.

Town Square

To form a new civic
center, provide valuable transportation improvements, and catalyze development downtown, the City assembled properties
and then partnered with developers and local agencies to create Town
Square. Comprised of a library, city hall, new retail space, and over
500 units of housing, Town Square is also home to year-round events
including a weekly Farmers Market. Foot traffic from Town Square
supports small downtown businesses. The project is a huge success, with
faster lease ups than comparable projects in Seattle and the eastside,
proving the Burien market is strong.

NERA

The City is also
partnering with the Washington State Department of Transportation
(WSDOT) and the Port of Seattle to help bring a new employment base to
Burien. The North East Redevelopment Area (NERA) is 153 acres adjacent
to SeaTac International Airport primed for industrial/flex space
development. In 2017, due to proactive efforts to assemble land and
leverage partner funding, the City welcomed the largest cold storage
facility in the state, making Burien the staging ground for Washington
food products to be shipped all over the world. Adjacent parcels house
480,000 square feet of industrial space, providing more jobs for Burien
residents.

Services

In
addition to their proven track record of public private partnerships,
the economic development team also provides the following services:

Business assistance. Providing customized or policy solutions to meet the needs of Burien businesses to help them grow here.

Site selection assistance. While working with a real estate broker is always
encouraged, the city can help connect businesses to locations that meet
their criteria and meet city zoning requirements.